Road Trip 2012: And We're Off!

Due to some technical difficulties, my first road trip post is a little late in coming. We've been on the road since Thursday, and really rather started it Wednesday evening.

Katie arrived a week ago today, and the first few days were spent frolicking (movies, Alamo, ice cream, etc.). The next few days were spent frantically packing up my apartment.

Katie dismantles my bike, with style

But on our last night in San Antonio, we were not in the apartment. When I first visited San Antonio in 2006, we briefly visited the Riverwalk, and I fell in love with a particular hotel. Though I cannot for the life of me find it, there is a picture of me standing on a bridge in front of this hotel, and I vowed that some day I would stay in the hotel, in a room with one of those balconies. Well, as a graduation gift, my parents got me that room!! It was an absolutely superb night.

The view from our room!

Mariachi band playing under our balcony

 We spent many hours enjoying the warm night on the balcony, wandered the Riverwalk, and then had a very swanky late-night dinner at the hotel restaurant. I also successfully made an NCIS convert out of Katie.

Ground level

Ducklings!

Alamo at sunset

May 31st was our last day in San Antonio, and it was spent finishing up the apartment. My beautiful little home, all bare and depressing;

 

And at long last, it was time to leave! One adventure done, a new one to start.

 

My last moment with my apartment. And my new hat!

We drove off into the sunset.

Upcoming Adventures

It's not international travel, but I'm going to post from the road a few times as I journey through the Southwest with Katie in June. After we both graduate, she is flying down to meet me in San Antonio, and we are winding out way through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, and Oregon on our way back to Seattle.

I hope you will enjoy!

Upcoming adventures will feature:

Yours Truly

The Katiemeister

Candy (the car)

Remember back when I was in Iceland?

So here's a thoroughly random, out-of-sync post. I just came across a video I made for the blog on my first day in Iceland last year, but somehow never actually posted. It's actually in two parts, because the first one I made randomly stopped recording after about a minute and a half.

Part One

                      Part Two                      

Petite Nootka

My little roommate at Laura's apartment:

Meet Nootka, a 4-month mini Doberman

She licks everything. Voraciously.

Ginormous ears, one floppy, one not.

Under attack

Cuddly

Paris Revisited: More Fun

One of the girls we met for dinner earlier in the week was turning 22, so we met her at a sushi place for a couple of hours. Very fun times. Fun note: they have cheese sushi in Paris. It's some sort of cream cheese surrounded by rice and seaweed. Pretty good, actually.

There are many boat rides that one can take along the Seine. My program took us on the Bateaux Mouches, and then I took the girls on the same ride when Katie and her friends came to visit last spring. I'm pretty fond of it. It has a nice sequence, and it's a good price. But I'd never taken the cruise during the day. What details was I missing out on? Time to find out...

Getting started

Centre Georges Pompidou

The amazing houseboats along the Seine

A corner of the Louvre

Musee d'Orsay

Love-Lock Bridge- you and your true love bring a padlock, write your initials and the date, lock it onto the bridge, then kiss as you throw the key into the Seine

The little garden where I wrote the other day

People hanging out, enjoying the gorgeous weather

That one building

Notre Dame from the side/back

A ridiculously gorgeous day. Lots of picnickers.

I finished the day by hanging out along the Seine for a few hours, writing and pondering. I think I am arranging my life in such a way that it won't ever be too long before I visit Paris again. That realization took away whatever stress I was feeling to revisit every spot I had even remotely fond memories of. Instead, I hit whatever moved me that day. Made for an excellent vacation.

Stateside once more, but a few more updates to come!